Democrats cancel ads in Philadelphia

National party cuts TV support for congressional candidates.

WASHINGTON — The national campaign arm for Democratic U.S. House candidates has canceled a series of television ads scheduled to begin airing Tuesday in the Philadelphia market.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had planned to run political commercials for the final two weeks until the Nov. 2 election. It has now scaled back its ad buy to just the final week, which begins Oct. 26.

In the Philadelphia media market there are a number of very competitive or high-profile congressional races, including the seats currently held by U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, a Democrat, in Bucks County and U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, a Republican, in the Lehigh Valley. The Philadelphia market also includes northern Delaware and southern New Jersey.

Recent polls have showed Murphy trailing his Republican challenger, Mike Fitzpatrick, by double digits. Dent also maintains a significant double-digit lead over his Democratic opponent, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan.

"Given the state of the polling, you might imagine that the DCCC is maybe making a decision to concentrate its resources in races it has the best chance in, therefore cutting back in the others," said Chris Borick, a political scientist at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.

Democrats are in serious risk of losing their majority in the U.S. House. In a retrenching move, the party has withdrawn resources in a dozen races already viewed as a loss. Democrats hold 255 seats; 218 are needed for a majority.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, the GOP counterpart to the DCCC, is planning to air political ads in the Philadelphia market for Fitzpatrick and for Pat Meehan, the Republican running for the Delaware County seat currently held by Joe Sestak, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

"The Democrats are cutting their losses because they know that no amount of political spin can make people believe the stimulus worked or that 'ObamaCare' is going to improve their quality of health care," said NRCC spokesman Tory Mazzola. "John Callahan was a once highly touted Washington recruit, but now that eastern Pennsylvanians know he would be a party-line vote for Speaker Pelosi, even Democrat leaders are admitting they just can't win."

But Shripal Shah, a spokesman for the DCCC, said Murphy and Callahan "are in strong positions heading into November."

"Pennsylvanians can't afford more of Mike Fitzpatrick and Charlie Dent's reckless policies that helped create the worst recession our country has seen in decades," Shah said.

Larry Ceisler, a Democratic consultant in Philadelphia, said parties shift ad spending all the time for a variety of reasons.

"I don't think it necessarily means the race is over," Ceisler said. "There's this notion out there that if they aren't putting money into this race, this white flag goes up, but I don't think that's the way it is."